Although free agency does not start until Tuesday, Peyton Manning's release last week means he is able to shop his talents around the league looking for a new home. The Peyton World Tour has taken him to Miami, Denver and Arizona, and the rumor mill has gotten hotter and hotter as the trip continues. The Denver Post put together a solid review of where their sources indicate things stand at this point.
The longer this takes, the more rumors will likely pop up, and the Denver Post article sort of shows that. They reported plenty of news related to Manning's visit, but then they began crossing that line between rumor and speculation. According to the article, it is being "widely reported" that there could be a mystery team somewhere in this search. This follows Pro Football Talk pointing out the potential for a mystery team.
The Denver Post article suggests the 49ers as a possible mystery team, based in part on how the Alex Smith negotiations proceed over the next day or so. They did state that the 49ers had not yet stepped in. Given the news that Smith and the 49ers might be getting closer to a deal this could all be bunk at this point.
Over the coming days, there will be all sorts of stories about players potentially signing here, there and everywhere. It is worth noting as the week progresses and you find articles about the 49ers connection to players that there will probably be more speculation than actual rumors. A columnist saying Player X would be a good fit for the team so it would be logical to pursue them versus, "I hear through sources that player X is scheduling a visit with the team." It seems like common sense, but given how fast the information will be flowing, it's something we'll all want to pay attention to in the coming days.